1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of motor vehicle restraint systems, and more particularly, to a method for crash testing a motor vehicle.
2. Related Art
Currently, some cars, trucks and vans provide some kind of supplemental restraint system (SRS). Often, these supplemental restraint systems take the form of inflatable devices or restraints. In some cases, airbags are used. The following related art references provide a general background of the field.
Cooper (U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,933) discloses an air bag system with a biomechanical grey zone. The biomechanical grey zone is an attempt to comply with recent legislative changes that require airbags to restrain women and children as well as adult males. To help restrain women and children, Cooper proposes the use of a system where air bags include multi-level inflators that can adjust the inflation characteristics of the air bag. The biomechanical zone is defined as a region where it is acceptable to deploy the air bag using either a low power inflator or a high power inflator. While the use of biomechanical grey zones may help to comply with new governmental requirements, the grey zones introduce uncertainty in the deployment characteristics of the air bag and this makes system design and testing difficult. The Cooper reference is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Corrado et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,729) teaches an occupancy sensing system for an automobile. The system is used in conjunction with an airbag deployment system to determine the nature, location and motion parameters of an occupant within the vehicle interior. These parameters are determined by ultrasound and/or infrared sensors. The system establishes criteria for airbag disablement or for modified airbag deployment based on sensor information. In particular, Corrado teaches the use of a Keep Out Zone (KOZ) within the vehicle interior relative to the dashboard or instrument panel. Analyzing the relative location of an occupant with respect to the Keep Out Zone can be used to determine whether the airbag deployment is disabled or modified.
Wang et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,092) teaches a control method for deploying an air bag using fuzzy logic. Wang attempts to provide a fuzzy logic deployment system that is more direct than previous fuzzy logic systems and where the calibration process if more user friendly. The method uses a deployment control algorithm to determine whether certain stages are deployed based on certain thresholds related to predicted occupant movement and crash severity.
There is currently a need for a way to increase the predictability of the deployment of an inflatable restraint to improve occupant safety and to simplify the process of crash testing the motor vehicle.